Learn about depression and how to manage it.

Depression is an extremely traumatizing and painful experience. Depression, that is, the mental state of a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and lack of activity, is a problem which affects every individual, either directly or indirectly. You may be depressed or know someone close to you who is. Both these experiences are painful and befuddling. This might be shocking to many of the readers, as most of us don’t know that depression is so prevalent in the US. Just in the US alone, nearly 18.8 million adults are affected by depression or depressive disorders every year. Scary, isn’t it?

As seen above, the number of depressed individuals is astounding. But studies have shown that only 20 or so percent of depressed individuals receive appropriate attention and treatment.

Why so? The main reason behind this is lack of awareness. Even the people suffering from depression don’t realize that they’re suffering and hence they just neglect it and don’t seek professional and medical help. This actually may increase the problem, harming the individual and the people around them. Incase the depressed individual knows that he is suffering from depression he still might choose to not seek help, as the stigma related to mental problems is still prevalent in our modern society. They would rather suffer in silence.

Depression not only affects the sufferer but also affects their immediate surroundings. The consequences can be seen in married couples, friends, parents and children etc. A depressed individual in any of the above relationship can lead to problems in that relation. The pressure of living with depression and/or a depressed spouse is extremely stressful. Marriages are dependent on mutual interactions and conversations and lack of healthy conversations and a loving environment can tear apart even the strongest marriages. Creating a healthy environment is nearly impossible when one of the spouses is depressed. This leaves both the parties unsatisfied, mentally, emotionally and physically.

So why doesn’t a depressed individual not seek help? Again this is because of the social norms. The stigmatized image of depression and a depressed person is the main reason why they continue to suffer in silence. There’s also a prevalent notion that depression is a sign of weakness, a form of personal weakness. The depressed person may feel that they are weak because they can’t keep themselves together and it would be heightened if they are unable to sustain relationships.

What can a partner do in such situation? The foremost thing to be done here is convincing your loved one to attend counseling. The individual needs to understand that they need counseling and help and they can’t deal with this alone. These individuals need all the support and love they can get. The partner needs to make them understand that they are with them, all the way, supporting them with all their heart and mind. If they can’t convince them, then help should be taken from either the parents or friends or even medical help, but under no circumstance should you pressurize the individual.

The stigma and negativity attached to depression is ridiculous. More than an illness, it is an imperfect state of being, one that should be amended at the earliest. Like any other illness, it should be treated without any unwarranted derision.

Teenage depression is more than just occasional melancholy and bad moods. It is a very serious problem that affects every single part of a teen’s life. Alcohol and drug abuse, self-mutilation and self-loathing, violence, pregnancy and even suicide can be caused by a serious case of teenage depression. If you’re a concerned parent, friend or teacher, there are a number of ways you can help someone overcome their depression. Offering support and talking about the exact problem can go a long way in helping your teenager get back on track.

Adolescence is often a very difficult and turbulent time for the majority of teens. Depression is fairly common among adults and teenagers alike, and it can have some serious implications, especially among teenagers who are being faced with emotional difficulties that they find tough to manage on their own.
Noticing the signs of depression is crucial in order to get proper treatment and help that depressed teenager needs in order to fully understand the root of their depression. Here is a list of some of the most common contributing factors to teenage depression.

Peer Pressure Or Social Anxiety
During adolescence, teenagers are learning how to successfully navigate the unsettling and complex social world in complicated and new ways. A lack of popularity can be very traumatic to most teens, as it is an important aspect of their teenage lives. The introduction of peer pressure to start drinking, doing illicit drugs or other experimental behaviour is often quite traumatic for teens that are not so eager to do those kinds of things, but are aware that refusing to give in could result in damaging their reputation.

Romantic Problems
During adolescence, romantic entanglements become a much more influential and prominent part of teenagers’ life. From unrequited affection to breakups, there are a number of ways where love problems can cause teenagers to become severely depressed.
Divorcing Or Separating Parents
Separated or divorced parents are certainly more common today than generations ago, but that does not mean that this situation has lost its effect on overall emotional wellbeing of a teenager. The divorce of a parent or the dissolution of their family can be extremely upsetting for a teenager, which can often lead to teenage depression.

Family Financial Struggles
Although teenagers are usually not the ones responsible for providing for their family and balancing the household budget, this does not mean that they remain unaffected by a difficult financial state within the family. Being aware of the fact that the budget is tight can be extremely upsetting situation, more so if there’s a possibility of losing the accustomed standard of living.
Emotional Or Physical Neglect
Although teenagers want to look like fully independent beings that don’t need anything from their parents, they still have physical and emotional needs for attention. Feelings of teenage depression can be caused by the lack of parental attention on any level.

Low Self-Esteem
Going through adolescence can be very tough on the self-esteem. Teenagers are going through a number of serious body changes which directly and sometimes negatively affect their level of self-confidence. After the self-esteem levels have reached a certain low, it is very common for a teenager to become depressed.